Discoveries from Netherlands World Cinema

A woman as an object of poetic observation seen through the eager eye of the camera. Cinematic means are used to reflect the moods of women.

Detective Wikkobus suffers from 'the blues'. After fifty-five years of letting other people dictate his life, without having taken any initiative, only hanging around the blues café, drinking whiskey and searching for things that don't matter anyway, he has had enough of it. Wikkobus decides to go and find himself because, as he knows: 'Hell is what you make of it.'

Batavia, 1946. In the heated aftermath of war and under colonial tension, a young Dutch soldier gets pulled into the world of an enigmatic Indonesian woman and a corrupt American diplomat. What begins as a search for a long-lost family heirloom, unfolds into a deadly game of identity, power, and betrayal – where everyone clings to their own reality, and the truth keeps changing.

Dutch tv registration of Luigi Pirandello's classic play Enrico IV, or Hendrik IV.

When Sarah looks out of her window she sees several situations between couples take place. It is like she is watching her own life and all the choices that could change it. In the end she can take a decision about her own life by looking at others. The couples tell a story about a world in which you can loose the direction of your life just like that. And find it again.

Octave Verbrugge, a powerful Belgian building contractor, met Hugo Saint-Laurent, a brilliant French engineer, during a business trip and made friends with him. Now that his bureau of expertise is experiencing difficulties with one of their important projects he has the idea to hire his friend to help resolve the problem. Hugo agrees and stays as a guest at Octave's home in Ghent, where the promoter lives with his two unmarried sisters, Françoise, a beautiful but mysterious woman, and Aurélie, a very strict and withdrawn lady.

Third Act is a film about aging. Leo is 80 years old and tours the world with the internationally renowned dance-theatre company Peeping Tom. On stage Leo is condemned to an elderly home crowded by local extras in their third age. But in real life, his wife waits for him - in an elderly home in Belgium. What do you do in the third and last act of your life? And what do the elderly in other countries and cultures do when the curtain is about to fall?

Joachim West is so unsuccessful as a writer that in order to escape his financial trouble, he stages his own disappearance. But only after sending his magnum opus--on which he had worked for the past 10 years--to his publisher. Assuming him dead, she sees the masterpiece as the perfect answer to a predicament: her star author, Fabian Remarque, is struck by writer's block. So she decides to publish Joachim's manuscript under Fabian's name.

The year is 1994, Bo infiltrates the Internet to retrieve a private picture of hers.

A short feature film about the last days in the life of the Groningen printer and typographer Hendrik Nicolaas Werkman, who was arrested by the German Sicherheitsdienst in the spring of 1945 and executed. His work is prominently featured in the film, which uses flashbacks to portray Werkman's personal and artistic life.

After being chased from her uncle's home by her scolding aunt, the young Mariken wanders outside of town and encounters Moenen, the devil disguised as a one-eyed, itinerant scholar, who offers to teach her magic and the seven liberal arts in return for her submission.

25 years ago, when Coos, then 13, was smoking dope with his friends by the side of a canal, he passed out and came to with a Coke bottle up his ass. A joke by his friends. The incident marks his life as it haunts him for years. Why did his friends do that? Coos, now 38, wants to be able to turn this black page in his history, and he does so by confronting his friends of the time with his pain.

In the heart of the Schipperskwartier, a grocery store and a café sit side by side, run by two inseparable friends, Jef and Rik. Rik, a widower, has three spirited children who can only be kept in line by Anneke, the ever-patient housekeeper. Wanting to see his friend happily remarried, Jef places an ad in the newspaper seeking potential brides. Two women respond, but Rik refuses to meet them himself. Undeterred, Jef takes it upon himself to investigate…

The Hefbrug may not be a remarkably beautiful bridge, but through a mix of close-ups, long shots, bird’s eye views and low angles, Joris Ivens conveys a sense of the bridge’s structure, its intricate mechanisms and ways of operating, the way it fits into the overall transport infrastructure and therefore the immense importance of this bridge for the whole city of Rotterdam.

Leaf tells the story of Nora and her son Sil who set out to find one of the last green habitats in a future parched earth. But when sil undergoes a strange physical change during their journey through the merciless heat, Nora’s fear grows of what they will find on the other side of the desert.

A twelve year old girl plays a dangerous game with unforeseeable consequences.

In 1994, a young family of Bosnian refugees find themselves in a little Dutch village after receiving their residence permit. Absurd situations occur as they attempt to turn this new world into their home.

The autobiography of Koki, an immortal parrot. Artist Quenton Miller portrays the life of this unique animal, a loyal comrade of Marshal Tito, leader of Yugoslavia for 35 years. A rich photographic archive relives the caged memories of this cockatoo, who had the honour of meeting Hollywood stars, and bloodthirsty dictators. A funny portrait, non-aligned with the documentary orthodoxy, that deals with the false constructions of history.

A dive into the world of a theatrical tradition with riders in classical costumes, hunting horns and bloodhounds. The drag hunt is a hunt without guns, where you do not hunt an animal, but a piece of cloth. It seems to be something of this time, but drag hunting is still under pressure. Can this age-old tradition survive in modern society? How do the riders view this spectacle full of etiquette?

Gaspar, a luthier, wants to make a violin from the wood of a tree so rare that it may or may not exist anymore.

Mysterious international agent and playboy Jason goes from country to country engaged in a shadowy high-stakes game of espionage, love-making and violent intrigue.

Uitgesloten is set in 1983. Jonathan is 18 and, just like his best friend Coen, he has grown up in the Jehovah's Witnesses. In this world with its strict rules, Jonathan and Coen however have their own ideas. Both have girlfriends, Marjan and Annemiek, who live in a very different world: the girls study at art school and mix with squatters. The boys do not tell their girlfriends about their background and they anxiously keep Marjan and Annemiek hidden from their own community. The friends lead a double life: they ring doorbells to distribute the Ontwaakt! and play in a band for the Jehovah's Witnesses, while they also visit ska concerts and squatters' bars and become increasingly caught up in the worldly life of Marjan and Annemiek.

In 2004, a urinal was voted the most influential work ever in modern art. Famed artist and provocateur Marcel Duchamp claimed to have created “Fountain”—or rather, he bought the mass-produced product and signed it—but according to some, it is the lesser-known, flamboyant Dadaist artist Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven who should take credit for transforming this much-discussed porcelain “piss pot” into art.

Eight-year-old Lisa feels something is wrong with her grandma. Is grandma still grandma, or is she someone else? Eerie thriller shows the puzzling world through a child's eyes.

An absurdist theatre piece by Dutch comedy duo Rundfunk. A collection of original sketches and songs.

Set in Curacao in the 1940s, Ava & Gabriel: A Love Story tells of the painter Gabriel Goedbloed, who arrives from Holland to paint a mural of the Virgin Mary in a local church. Gabriel is black, originally from Surinam. The colonial Antillian society proves less than tolerant towards him, especially after he chooses as his model a young Black teacher, Ava

With the very first day of high school right around the corner, a final summer night turns out to be a deciding moment between childhood and adulthood for a close-knit group of friends, when one of them mysteriously disappears.

A batch of bottles of gold liqueur (also known as Bruidstranen) containing the original drink mixed with clandestinely distilled, toxic methyl alcohol is put on the market. One bottle is purchased by a couple on their way to a wedding party. During the wedding, the television in the kitchen next to the reception hall is showing images of the port of Antwerp, where three sailors have died after drinking from a bottle of gold liqueur. The police launch a manhunt for the perpetrators and the remains of the batch.

Two-time Golden Calf winner Paul Cohen (Janine, 2010) takes a personal and cinematic journey through postwar Europe. Based on his Jewish father, Bram Cohen, his diary entries from the Japanese internment camp, and previously unseen archival material, Paul Cohen paints a picture of post-WWII Europe through his father's eyes. A poetic documentary about guilt, shame, forgiveness, and compassion, with universal significance.

In April 1989, in a liminal town near Mexico City, young teenager Violeta finds a way to bring her mother's synthesizers back to life with disastrous consequences for her and her father.

Kees suffers from Parkinson's disease. This puts pressure on his relationship with his beloved Carmen. If a cure is not forthcoming, an almost inhuman, devilish dilemma presents itself.

Maryana came to the conclusion that she no longer wanted to live because the bullying became unbearable. Based on stories from her family, teachers, friends and classmates, we get an idea of ​​who Maryana was and what kept her busy. All relatives have the same message: let's learn from this and ensure that this does not happen again in the future.

On a drive back home in a dirty car, three young women talk about other people. Their conversation flows naturally, and takes them into uncharted territory.

Spike, an aspiring rapper, gets sucked into a criminal environment and ends up in jail for smuggling drugs.

Soon Anna (5) and Joey (4) will no longer be the only children in the family, there will be a baby! On the day of the birth they are taken by their uncle to the petting zoo. Here's a little kid that Joey immediately adores and when they escape the petting zoo together, they go on an adventure. Along the way, they all encounter obstacles and learn to join forces and make many new friends.

Thirty years’ Johann Strauss Orchestra, and on the Vrijthof square for the thirteenth year running. Surely a good reason for a party! Enjoy André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra and an evening that is more festive than ever! To name a few highlights: Handel's impressive Hallelujah, sung by all soloists and the choir, Hava Nagilah, Think of Me from The Phantom of the Opera, Ballade pour Adeline, O Sole Mio, sung by the Platin Tenors, La Traviata, Highland Cathedral and of course beautiful waltzes by Johann Strauss. And as icing on the cake, a performance by David Hasselhoff, who together with André Rieu, goes through the roof with Looking for Freedom, Love Me Tender and Paloma Blanca! The audience sings and dances along ecstatically. It was a magical evening in Maastricht, relive it with this fantastic anniversary Blu-Ray.

Tessel is determined to give her boyfriend the day of his life by marrying him. But the closer the big moment gets, the more Tessel starts to doubt everything: her dress, her boyfriend, her ex and most of all herself. In the end only one thing is clear: this will be a day to remember.

Pauline is a 'little girl of 66 years old'. She is mentally retarded and been cared after by her sister Martha. When Martha dies, her two younger sisters, Paulette and Cecile have to make a decision on the best place for Pauline to be looked after. Neither of them is ready to take care of her. Paulette has a shop to look after and Cecile has her Albert. But according to Martha's last will, her fortune will only be divided in three equal parts if one of the sisters looks after Pauline. If they decide to take her to an institution, Pauline will be the only heir.

As noted on back-cover: "The 27th of November 1993 the Jaarbeurs Utrecht was the location of the biggest and most spectacular house event in European history. 20.000 Ravers, 160 K Sound, 500.000 Watts of Lights, 12 DJ's, 5 Live Acts and the famous Thunderdome Octopus. Witness the unbelievable "Wall Of Sound", hypnotizing lights, lasers, video effects and of course the Thundertruck."

A painter unleashes his craft onto a blank canvas.

70-year-old Edith, who has fallen into social and mental isolation, comes into contact with an equally lonely young man. Although they have absolutely nothing in common, he rekindles the zest for life in her.

The well-behaved Prosper De Leeuw from Lier is a grocer and, in his spare time, a member of a choir called "Het Ruisende riet" (The Rustling Reeds). Both at meetings and rehearsals, he shows admirable dedication to the cause. The choir wins first prize in Antwerp. Everyone celebrates heartily in the café until Prosper breaks a valuable vase. He is thrown out and, without a penny in his pocket, he stumbles back to Lier. On top of that, he contracts severe pneumonia. The whole town is shocked because Prosper De Leeuw is suddenly on his deathbed. Prosper confesses everything to his wife.

The Bird Colony in the Nature Reserve "De Beer".

The De Mol van Otterloo couple has the most important and largest private collection 17th-century Dutch and Flemish masters in the world. They collected from Ruisdael, Steen, Dou, Cuyp, Potter, Lievens, Hals and yes, also a Rembrandt. There is millions of masterpieces on the walls of their villa in Massachusetts. But what do you do with such a collection? Together with the friendly couple Weatherbie, who also built up a special art collection, they decide that their collections should stay together after their death. The result is an art gift that is unparalleled.

Arrogant Ralf Kwist is the richest man in a town where candy is the main commodity. He owns the candy factory, all the shops, and has the mayor on his side. On top of that, Ralf neglects his wife. But Old Olle and his friends resist Ralf's attempts to take possession of the last piece of land he does not own. When the situation becomes dire, the question is whether they can win.

Father explores the relationship of a dad and son who haven’t been in touch in the last years. While he tries to reconnect with his son in the present, he reflects with his girlfriend on the past.

The short film centres on a 60-second commercial in which the players take on an army of opponents all intent on owning the ball.

Jacko has to stay with his strange and forgetful grandfather. He warns Jacko that there is a vampire at his school who bites children: Varlok. Jacko doesn’t believe it - until his best friend Edje suddenly starts behaving very strangely and joins the ever-growing group of bullies at school who all wear sunglasses: The Sunglasses Gang.

When filmmaker Efthymia Zymvragaki fled her native island of Crete as a young adult, she hoped to leave her violent childhood behind her. But in Spain, her memories are reawakened when a man asks her to make a film about him and his violence.

A young boy and his young sister are playing on a rubbish dump, acting out their parents' divorce. For this they use their father's things which their mother brought to the dumping ground out of anger. The girl only wants to use their fathers things, but the boy finds something that he finds much more interesting.

Pirate radio stations are unprecedentedly popular, even in the age of the internet and Spotify. What does this music say about identity, about our desire for stability in a changing world?

we see Dutch high school kids receiving their most memorable lesson yet: sexual education. Their faces are flushed with embarrassment and curiosity, but what’s going on in their minds?

Richard has an unusual fantasy: he gets sexually aroused by the idea of being devoured by an animal. In a contact add he gets to know Max and with that encounter the chance of making his fantasy real. But does he dare?